Dioscorea species

To view more pictures on this plant, click the "All Images" tab above.
To view or mark new locations where this plant can be found, click the "Locations" tab above.

Scientific Name:Dioscorea species

Common Name(s): Sweet potato, Yam

Edible: yes

Medicinal: yes

Parts Used: root

Logos 13 Aug, 2008

Description: These plants are vines that creep along the ground. They have alternate, heart-or arrow-shaped leaves. Their rootstock may be very large and weigh many kilograms.

Current Rating: 0.0000

Logos 13 Aug, 2008

Habitat and Distribution: True yams are restricted to tropical regions where they are an important food crop. Look for yams in fields, clearings, and abandoned gardens. They are found in rain forests, semievergreen seasonal forests, and scrub and thorn forests in the tropics. In warm temperate areas, they are found in seasonal hardwood or mixed hardwood-coniferous forests, as well as some mountainous areas.

Current Rating: 0.0000

Logos 13 Aug, 2008

Edible Parts: Boil the rootstock and eat it as a vegetable.

Current Rating: 0.0000

danmc 22 Apr, 2009

You may also know this plant as an "air potato". Besides the roots which need to be cooked, it grows little pea-sized tubers in the air which may be prepared like you would a potato. Taste is similar.